Negri Sembilan has agreed to sell treated water to Selangor to ease pressure on its neighbour, which is expected to face an acute shortfall by 2014.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) had requested that the state supply between 45 million and 70 million litres of water per day to Selangor.
“We are now discussing details of the agreement and our price will be based on commercial rates,” Mohamad told reporters after chairing the exco meeting at his office here.
He said the state had begun supplying treated water in small quantities to areas near Broga and Semenyih in Selangor.
It was recently reported that residents in four districts in Selangor would face unscheduled water cuts and low pressure if demand kept increasing.
The four districts are Hulu Langat, Kuala Langat, Sepang and Petaling.
Mohamad said the state which used to buy treated water from Selangor and Johor previously would have excess treated water in 2013 after several new water treatment plants under construction are completed.
The Ngoi-Ngoi plant in Jelebu, which can produce up to 135 million litres of treated water daily, will supply the affected areas in Selangor.
“Once the plant is ready, we will have some 100 million litres of treated water,” he said, adding that work had started to build another treatment plant which will be able to produce an additional 135 million litres of treated water near the Ngoi-Ngoi facility.
Mohamad said the state would also be able to supply treated water to northern Johor if there was a need.
“I have been made to understand that some areas near the Negri-Johor border occasionally face water-related problems,” he said.